Strange Ghost Story From Clitheroe.
Discovery of the “Ghost.”
Our Clitheroe correspondent writes: – “An extraordinary case of supposed ghost visitation has just occurred at Well Hall, Clitheroe, the residence of the Rev. S. H. Haslam, headmaster of the Grammar-school. Mr and Mrs Haslam are away from home for the holidays, and the hall is occupied temporarily by a lady and two daughters. The other day a series of remarkable and somewhat startling occurrences took place. The drawers and cupboard doors in the kitchen flew open, and the window shutters closed mysteriously. The bells were constantly rung and the door knocker sounded loudly, without any apparent cause. Naturally when the table was laid for dinner, all the plate and knives, &c., became collected in a heap, and it was concluded that the famous Waddow Ghost – ‘Peg o’Nell’ – was the cause of it all.
Information was given to the police, and the Chief Constable went to the house and made inquiries. His suspicions were aroused, and he cautioned the servants against indulging in foolish fancies. The same things were noticed again, however, and the Chief Constable placed watchmen in the house unknown to the servants. The mysterious occurrences were kept up more or less till evening without any discovery of the author.
About eight o’clock however, one of the servants was noticed to go upstairs and scatter the clothes from the beds about the floor, and then return to the kitchen, where she said all was right upstairs. She was afterwards charged by the Chief Constable with being the cause of the whole disturbance, but she vehemently declared she knew nothing about it. After being told that she had been watched and had been seen to pull the clothes off the bed, she eventually confessed that she had done it and expressed her sorrow. Since then the place has remained very quiet, and ‘Peg o’Nell’ is not likely to appear again for a time.”
Burnley Express, 19th August 1891.